A top Russian official denied Comey firing was brought up in Trump meeting

A top Russian official says the dismissal of FBI director James Comey never came up in meeting with president Donald Trump.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov denied Saturday that Comey's firing was discussed during his meeting last week with President Trump in the Oval Office, according to Russian news media.

"We have not touched this topic at all," Lavrov told reporters in Nicosia, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. He did not elaborate.

The New York Times reported Friday that Trump told Russian officials, including Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak that Comey was a "nut job," and that dismissing him meant the pressure of the FBI's Russia probe has been "taken off."

White House officials have not denied the story, and stressed Trump and his staff had no collusion with Russia.

Press secretary Sean Spicer didn't dispute the account of Trump's conversation to the Times & told NPR the Russia inquiry was harming U.S.